7. [al-Araf, Mecca 39]
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
وَاخْتَارَ
مُوسَى قَوْمَهُ
سَبْعِينَ
رَجُلاً لِّمِيقَاتِنَا...
7: 155. And Moses chose seventy of his people for Our place of meeting:
C1121. Seventy of the elders were taken up to the Mount, but left at some distance from the place where Allah spoke to Moses.
They were to be silent witnesses, but their faith was not yet complete, and they dared to say to Moses: "We shall never believe in thee until we see Allah in public" (2:55).
They were dazed with thunder and lightning, and might have been destroyed but for Allah's mercy on the intercession of Moses.
...فَلَمَّا أَخَذَتْهُمُ الرَّجْفَةُ قَالَ ...
when they were seized with violent quaking, he prayed:
C1122. Rajfah: violent quaking, earthquake.
I take it to refer to the same event as is described by the word Sd'iqat in 2:55, the thunder and lightning that shook the mountainside.
... رَبِّ لَوْ شِئْتَ أَهْلَكْتَهُم مِّن قَبْلُ وَإِيَّايَ...
"O my Lord! if it had been Thy will Thou couldst have destroyed, long before, both them and me:
...أَتُهْلِكُنَا بِمَا فَعَلَ السُّفَهَاء مِنَّا...
wouldst Thou destroy us for the deeds of the foolish one among us?
...إِنْ هِيَ إِلاَّ فِتْنَتُكَ...
This is no more than Thy trial:
C1123. Moses was guiltless, but he identifies himself with his whole people, and intercedes with Allah on their behalf.
He recognises that it was a trial, in which some of his people failed to stand the test. Such failure was worthy of punishment. But he pleads for mercy for such as erred from weakness and not from contumacy, and were truly repentant, although all who erred were in their several degrees worthy of punishment.
...تُضِلُّ بِهَا مَن تَشَاء ...
by it Thou causest whom Thou wilt to stray,
C1124. Cf. 2:26.
... وَتَهْدِي مَن تَشَاء ...
and Thou leadest whom Thou wilt into the right path.
...أَنتَ وَلِيُّنَا فَاغْفِرْ لَنَا وَارْحَمْنَا...
Thou art our protector: so forgive us and give us Thy mercy;
...وَأَنتَ خَيْرُ الْغَافِرِينَ ﴿١٥٥﴾
for Thou art the best of those who forgive.
7: 155
Asad And Moses chose out of his people seventy men to come [and pray for forgiveness] at a time set by Us. Then, when violent trembling seized them [note 122], he prayed:……
Pickthall And Moses chose of his people seventy men for Our appointed tryst and, when the trembling came on them, he said: My Lord! If thou hadst willed Thou hadst destroyed them long before, and me with them. Wilt thou destroy us for that which the ignorant among us did? It is but Thy trial (of us). Thou sendest whom Thou wilt astray and guidest whom Thou wilt. Thou art our Protecting Friend, therefore forgive us and have mercy on us, Thou, the Best of all who show forgiveness.
Transliteration Wakhta_ra mu_sa_ qaumahu_ sab'ina rajulal limiqa_tina_, falamma_ akhazathumur rajfatu qa_la rabbi lau syi'ta ahlaktahum min qablu wa iyya_y(a), atuhlikuna_ bima_ fa'alas sufaha_'u minna_, in hiya illa_ fitnatuk(a), tudillu biha_ man tasya_'u wa tahdi man tasya_'(u), anta waliyyuna_ fagfir lana_ warhamna_ wa anta khairul ga_firin(a).
[[ Asad’s note 122 – Most of the commentators take “rajfah” to mean here “earthquake”, as it evidently does in other places in the Quran (e.g., in verses 78 and 91 this surah)……….]].
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5. [al-Maidah, Medina 112]
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
أَلَمْ
تَعْلَمْ أَنَّ
اللّهَ لَهُ
مُلْكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ
وَالأَرْضِ...
5: 40. Knowest thou not that to Allah (alone) belongeth the dominion of the heavens and the earth?
C743. Punishment really does not belong to mortals, but to Allah alone.
Only, in order to keep civil society together, and protect innocent people from crime, certain principles are laid down on which people can build up their criminal law. But we must always remember that Allah not only punishes but forgives, and forgiveness is the attribute which is more prominently placed before us.
It is not our wisdom that can really define the bounds of forgiveness or punishment, but His Will or Plan, which is the true standard of righteousness and justice.
... يُعَذِّبُ مَن يَشَاء وَيَغْفِرُ لِمَن يَشَاء...
He punisheth whom He pleaseth, and He forgiveth whom He pleaseth:
... وَاللّهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ ﴿٤٠﴾
and Allah hath power over all things.
يَا
أَيُّهَا الرَّسُولُ
لاَ يَحْزُنكَ
الَّذِينَ
يُسَارِعُونَ
فِي الْكُفْرِ
...
41. O Messenger!
let not those grieve thee, who race each other into unbelief:
C744. Two classes of men are meant, viz.,
- the Hypocrites and
- the Jews.
For both of them Al-Mustafa labored earnestly and assiduously, and it must have been a cause of great grief and disappointment to him that some among them showed so much insincerity, great grief an cunning, and hardness of heart.
These are types not yet extinct.
... مِنَ الَّذِينَ قَالُواْ آمَنَّا بِأَفْوَاهِهِمْ وَلَمْ تُؤْمِن قُلُوبُهُمْ...
(whether it be) among those who say: "We believe" with their lips but whose hearts have no faith;
... وَمِنَ الَّذِينَ هِادُواْ سَمَّاعُونَ لِلْكَذِبِ سَمَّاعُونَ لِقَوْمٍ آخَرِينَ لَمْ يَأْتُوكَ...
or it be among the Jews, men who will listen to any lie, will listen even to others who have never so much as come to thee.
C745. There were men among the Jews who were eager to catch up any lie against the Prophet. They had their ears open even to tales from people who had never so much as come near to the Prophet.
If we understand "for" instead of "to" before "others" (for the Arabic word would bear both meanings), the sense will be:
They are keen listeners or spies for any lies they can catch; and they will act as spies for others (their Rabbis, etc.) who are in the background but to whom they carry false tales.
... يُحَرِّفُونَ الْكَلِمَ مِن بَعْدِ مَوَاضِعِهِ...
They change the words from their (right) times and places;
C746. Cf. 5:14.
The addition of the words min ba'di here suggests the change of words from their right times as well as places.
They did not deal honestly with their Law, and misapplied it, by distorting the meaning.
Or it may be that as tale-bearers they distorted the meaning by misrepresenting the context.
... يَقُولُونَ إِنْ أُوتِيتُمْ هَـذَا فَخُذُوهُ وَإِن لَّمْ تُؤْتَوْهُ فَاحْذَرُواْ...
they say, "If ye are given this, take it, but if not, beware!"
... وَمَن يُرِدِ اللّهُ فِتْنَتَهُ فَلَن تَمْلِكَ لَهُ مِنَ اللّهِ شَيْئًا...
If anyone's trial is intended by Allah, thou hast no authority in the least for him against Allah.
... أُوْلَـئِكَ الَّذِينَ لَمْ يُرِدِ اللّهُ أَن يُطَهِّرَ قُلُوبَهُمْ...
For such it is not Allah's will to purify their hearts.
Other Versions:
5: 40
Asad Do you not know that God’s is the dominion over the heavens and the earth? He chastises whom He wills, and He forgives who He wills: for God has the power to will anything.
Pickthall Knowest thou not that unto Allah belongeth the Sovereignty of the heavens and the earth? He punisheth whom He will, and forgiveth whom He will. Allah is Able to do all things.
Transliteration Alam ta'lam annalla_ha lahu_ mulkus sama_wa_ti wal ard(i), yu'azzibu may yasya_'u wa yagfiru limay yasya_'(u), walla_hu 'ala_ kulli syai'in qadir(un).
[[ Ali’s note - 743 Punishment really does not belong to mortals, but to Allah alone. Only, in order to keep civil society together, and protect innocent people from crime, certain principles are laid down on which people can build up their criminal law. But we must always remember that Allah not only punishes but forgives, and forgiveness is the attribute which is more prominently placed before us. It is not our wisdom that can really define the bounds of forgiveness or punishment, but His Will or Plan, which is the true standard of righteousness and justice. (5.40)